Wedding Crashers
by ninjanervana
Summary: Lily is forced to be a bridesmaid in Petunia's wedding and she's sure it will be an absolute nightmare. But maybe with a little help from her friends, it won't be so bad. Set during their 6th year. Lily/James friendship, Lily/Marauders friendship
1. Chapter 1

Now I know what you're thinking readers, "But ninjanervana, don't you have to update your Christmas Secrets story?" The answer to that is yes, yes I do. And I will, I promise, probably in the next day or two. Buuuuuut I had this great idea for a story and who am I to withhold Lily/James fanfics from the fandom? That would be monstrous. And so I bring to you yet another James/Lily story. It'll be a multi-chapter story (probably three or four chapters). It takes place during Sixth year with Lily and the Marauders before friends, but James and Lily aren't dating...for now. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! Be sure to check out my other stories, Saturday Morning and Christmas Secret (which I promise I will update soon.)

-ninjanervana

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Lily groaned as she finished reading Petunia's letter, pushing it aside before closing her eyes and resting her forehead on the common room coffee table. A dull pain pulsed in the center of her forehead, the precursor to an impending headache. She knew when her mother announced that Petunia was engaged that the wedding would be a big to-do, but after the countless wedding related letters from her mother and a occasionally snarky one from her sister, Lily began to wonder why Petunia and Vernon didn't just elope. Petunia had gotten engaged to her whale of a boyfriend at the start of term and decided to have the wedding during Easter holiday, at her mother's strong suggestion so Lily could be there.

At this point she wasn't even sure she wanted to go to the wedding. Petunia had made her a bridesmaid at her mother's insistence−she had been sure to send Lily a letter to tell her she didn't want her to be in the bridal party but their parents had thrown a fit when she had told them and if she did anything freaky, she would make Lily wish she had never been born−but she hadn't been involved with any of the wedding planning. Not that Lily had been surprised by it; ever since Lily had found out she was a witch, Petunia had been distant and cold with her, barely tolerating her presence. But it was still hard to hear from her mother about the wedding plans, about wedding dress shopping, cake selection, visits to the church and hall, wedding colors. All the things that they had dreamed about doing together when they were little girls playing in the front garden of their parents' house, before everything had changed between them. Petunia hadn't asked for Lily's thoughts on any aspect and it hurt her more than she was willing to admit. The first letters her mother had sent to her about the wedding had brought her to tears, especially with her mother's assurances that Petunia had just forgotten to ask for Lily's advice or opinions. Now the letters just caused a dull ache in the center of her chest, a pain she couldn't seem to rub out.

"When I get married, I'm going to elope," she muttered to herself.

"Oye, don't I get an invite?" asked a voice beside her.

Lily smiled slightly as she opened her eyes, meeting the familiar face of her former enemy but now good friend, James Potter. His trademark smirk was in place as he looked down at her, waiting for her playful retort. And where James Potter was, she knew the remaining Marauders, also her surprisingly good friends, wouldn't be too far behind.

"I want to know who the bloke is," Sirius laughed from behind her. "What bloke has our Lilypad's heart and how did we not notice? We can be thick sometimes, but we're not stupid."

She looked around, spotting the remaining Marauders on the couch beside her. She hadn't noticed them all come in while she had been dwelling on her wedding thoughts, but she was glad for their company. If anyone could lift you out of a bad mood, it was the Marauders. Lily rolled her eyes playfully at Sirius's comment, "I'll send you all an owl after the ceremony. You can come for the reception."

"That's the best part anyway; that's where the food is," Peter answered with a grin. "We'll be there for it."

"But I'm not getting married anytime soon," Lily said. "My sister is."

"The one you don't get on with, right?" Remus asked curiously.

She nodded, turning to face the couch; her back leaned against the coffee table. "She got engaged at the start of term and she's getting married in two weeks and I'm absolutely dreading it. It's going to be awful."

James settled beside her, his shoulder pressed against hers lightly. The touch was comforting, reminding her that she wasn't as alone as she felt. "I thought all girls liked weddings?"

"Oh I like them just fine, but they're better when the bride doesn't hate you and actually wants you to be there," Lily sighed dejectedly, running her hand through her red hair. "I just know it's going to be a long, awkward day of Petunia harping over details, having to deal with distant family constantly pestering me about when I'm going to get settled down, and just being stuck alone since the rest of the bridal party is Vernon's family."

"Just say you can't make it then. Tell them you're too bogged down by prefect duties and schoolwork. Sixth year is very important," Sirius answered, his tone mockingly serious.

Lily shook her head before he finished speaking. "Already thought of that but I can't. My mum fought Petunia to put me in the bridal party; if I skip out, I'll have to listen to Petunia complain for the rest of my life about how her freak of a sister ruined her wedding plans," she answered. "I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. It's just one day, right?"

"You're not a freak; that's rubbish," Peter replied. "Don't listen to her."

"The Marauders can always make an appearance if you want," James offered. "I've never been to a muggle wedding before."

Lily laughed, bumping his shoulder gently. The thought of this rambunctious group of boys crashing her prim and proper sister's wedding almost had her agreeing. Almost. "I'll think about the offer, alright? But thank you."

Remus smiled at her, "You know we have your back, Lily."

She returned his smile, looking around at the group of boys. Years ago she couldn't stand them and their constant pranks, their constant disregard for rules, but now they were closer to her than many of her friends she made in first year. She knew if she called for them, they would show up at the wedding in minutes and that made her love them even more. "Yes, yes I know," she said happily. "Now tell me what mischief you lot have been up to. You've been gone for hours."

At her prompting, the boys launched into their tale of the night's events, easily pushing aside Lily's worries about the wedding for the moment.

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Reviews please!


	2. Chapter 2

Here I am again readers back with chapter 2! Hope you all enjoy it and please leave a review if there's anything you'd like to see/questions/comments.

-ninjanervana

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The wedding had gone off better than Lily had expected, than she had ever dared to hope for. The day had been entirely too long in her opinion, but she assumed that was just the nature of weddings. She had been woken that morning to the screeching of Petunia demanding that she get up that instant and if she took too long, she could walk to the church. Lily bit back her sharp retort, remembering her mother's pleas the night before that she please try to get along with her sister, it was her wedding day after all. As much as she wanted to fight with her mother, to make her see reason, to show her that Petunia would be rude and snappy no matter what she did, she couldn't bear to destroy the hopeful look on her mother's face. She had scribbled out all of her frustrations in a letter she sent to James the night before, nearly tearing the parchment with the force of her quill strokes. What she had received in return was a letter written by three of the four Marauders, Peter was the only one staying home instead of staying at the Potter residence, assuring her that they would be there in a moment to rescue her and raise hell if she said the word. Their half-illegible handwriting made her laugh, draining the tension she had felt since she came home for Easter. Today she would be the sister she wished Petunia would be to her, the sister she had once been.

That mantra was all that kept Lily from snapping at her sister for the entire day, reminding herself that she would be the bigger person, the kinder person. Though she thought she would grind her molars to dust trying to restrain her retorts, they made it through the entire morning and early afternoon in each other's presence without a screaming match. Before she could blink, it seemed they were all dressed and off to the church for the ceremony. The small Cokeworth church had been beautifully decorated with flowers and streamers, brightening the dark interior. Lily had to admit her sister had done an excellent job with arranging all of the wedding plans.

The ceremony went off without a hiccup, something she was immensely grateful for. If anything had gone wrong, she knew Petunia wouldn't hesitate to blame her for it, whether it was her fault or not. Of course having to deal with three of Vernon's female cousins, the other bridesmaids, giving her dirty looks all day long −she could only imagine what story Petunia had told them about why she was gone all the time−, with Vernon's groomsmen trying to get handsy with her, −she may have broken one of the men's toes when she stomped on his foot but she could have done a lot worse to him if she had drawn her wand; he should keep his bloody hands away from her arse−, and with Petunia and her mum fussing over every little detail had nearly driven her mad. She was quickly running out of ways to keep herself calm: taking deep breaths, counting backwards from ten, imagining a serene place, by the time the wedding ceremony had finished.

The weather had been surprisingly lovely, comfortably warm with the sun shining brightly above them. Lily knew it would make for wonderful wedding pictures. Petunia looked beautiful in her lace wedding gown, even standing next to her whale of a fiancé, now husband, in his dark grey suit. She also appreciated that Petunia did not pick a bridesmaid dress that clashed horribly with her bright red hair; in this moment she was grateful that Petunia's desire for perfection outweighed her spitefulness. Lily was dressed in a royal blue, Grecian inspired strapless dress, showing off her smooth ivory skin and smattering of freckles across her shoulders. Her red hair had been curled and pinned up, a dramatic difference from her usual loose hair. Pictures were taken on the front steps of the church before the bridal party along with all of their guests headed to the hall across town for the reception.

Evening had begun to fall when they arrived at the hall, the tables and chairs decorated in white and blue, the wedding colors. Lily had somehow gotten stuck running the seating table, giving guests their table numbers and directions to it. She quickly learned it was a lot like directing First Year students up to their dorms after the Sorting and the Welcome Feast: too distracted by their own excitement to pay attention to a word you said to them, forcing you to repeat yourself at least three times before they understood and went on their way.

She had gotten to see distant relatives whom she only saw for weddings or funerals, going through the same conversation with each new group. _'Lily dear, we haven't seen you in so long; you're all grown up now...Your parents told us all about your scholarship at that private school, we always knew you were a bright one. You'll do us proud...Pretty soon we'll be back here again for your wedding...You've grown into such a beauty, I'm sure your boyfriend knows how lucky he is.'_ She had gotten so tired of explaining to them that she didn't have a boyfriend, she was much too busy with her studies; she decided it would be simpler to smile and nod at them.

Meeting Vernon's relatives had been a different matter, their expressions falling into two distinct categories. They either looked down their nose at her, mirroring the dirty looks she had received from the other bridesmaids, or they looked utterly surprised when she explained she was Petunia's sister. Quite a few of them had been under the impression that Petunia was an only child, having heard no mention of a sister before. _'Yes, that sounds like Petunia,'_ she had thought as she plastered a smile onto her lips. Her sister barely acknowledged her presence when they were at home; she would have been surprised to be mentioned to anyone else.

Once the guests were seated, each family gave speeches before the dinner buffet was opened, the line stretching across the dance floor. Lily sat across the dance floor with her mother and the rest of the bridal party, facing the doors that would free her. She was trying to figure out how much longer she would have to stay, she would walk home if needed, when she felt someone was watching her. She brushed the feeling off initially, she had been stared at all afternoon for one reason or another, it might be just a lingering feeling. But as the sensation refused to ebb, she looked up from her empty plate, gasping softly as she caught sight of someone before the line of people blocked them again.

"Lily," her mother said in alarm as Lily shot to her feet, craning her next as she tried to see around the crowd of people. "What's wrong?"

She ignored her mother's concerns, her hands clenched into fists. _'Please move, please move, please move,'_ she thought frantically. Whatever higher beings there were must have heard Lily's plea when the crowd parted suddenly. A brilliant smile stretched across Lily's face as her green eyes locked with a pair of familiar hazel ones. "James," she whispered, feeling as if her unspoken prayer had been answered.


	3. Chapter 3

Lily knocked over her chair as she turned around, quickly stepping around the chair as she glanced over her shoulder. _'It can't be,'_ she thought, her heart racing as she hurried away from the table.

Before she could make it more than a few feet, she felt someone latch onto her arm, jerking her to a halt. "Lily, where are you going?" Mrs. Evans asked, holding Lily's wrist tightly as she tried to move away. "What's going on?"

She looked at her mother briefly before turning her attention back across the room. _'Oh no, where did you disappear to?'_ she thought worriedly, frowning as the crowd of people blocked her view. _'Don't tell me I imagined you, please don't tell me I imagined you.'_

"Lily Evans, are you even listening to me?" her mother said sharply, pulling Lily from her thoughts. "What is going on with you?"

"Mum, I'll be back in just a minute," she replied urgently. "I just…I think I saw someone and I need to go check. Please Mum, I'll just be a moment, I promise."

She wasn't sure what Mrs. Evans saw in her expression that made her agree, but she released Lily's wrist after a moment, waving her hand. "Don't be gone long," she warned her. "Your sister will be upset if she notices you're gone."

Lily gave her mother a dazzling smile before setting off across the room, her new silver heels clicking sharply against the wooden dance floor. She shoved her way through the crowd-it seemed nothing got between people and a buffet dinner- half certain she would get to the other side of the room to find out she had imagined that black, unruly hair and that overly confident smirk. She wasn't sure she could handle that much disappointment.

Her worry was for nothing she realized as the last of the crowd moved from in front of her, leaving her face to face with James Potter. Her heart seemed to beat faster at the sight of him, the only familiar and comforting thing in this room full of strangers. She thought her cheeks would split from smiling, her green eyes sparkling. She covered the last few feet between them quickly, throwing herself into his arms as she wrapped hers around his neck.

"James," she sighed happily as his arms wrapped around her, returning her hug. She tucked her face against the side of his neck, breathing in the comforting scent of broom polish, his cologne, and something that reminded her of the woods.

"Hullo Lil," he murmured against her hair, squeezing her gently. "Miss me?"

Lily pulled away slightly, a soft laugh escaping her lips as she looked up at him. How could she find the words to explain to one of her closest friends that she missed him more than she could explain; certainly the way she hugged him was not the way friends hugged after being separated for a few days. Instead of answering his question, she decided it would be safer to reply with one of her own. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you," James replied easily, his hands still resting lightly on her waist.

"If my greeting isn't nearly as enthusiastic as Prongs's, I'm going to be jealous," said a voice behind James. In all her shock and excitement at seeing James, she failed to notice the two figures that stood behind him. She shouldn't have been so surprised; where one Marauder was, the others weren't far behind.

"You lot!" Lily said excitedly, moving to hug Sirius. She squealed as he picked her up, her feet leaving the floor. She could feel his chest shake as he chuckled, rubbing her back affectionately as he set her down. "How did you get here?"

"Marauder secret," Sirius replied with a wink before releasing her to hug Remus.

"We thought if you were trapped here, you wouldn't be able to send out an SOS so here we are," Remus explained as he hugged her gently. "Peter says hello; he couldn't get way from home."

Lily took a step back, looking at the three of them. She was sure she would wake up at any moment, having fallen asleep in the car ride to the reception. "You guys are really here," she murmured in amazement, a soft smile on her lips. "You even wore muggle clothes," she laughed, taking in their slacks, dress shirts and ties.

"Moony thought we might blend in better with muggle clothes," Sirius replied. "It is a serious undercover operation. Gave us backstories and everything in case your family has too many questions. We spent all day planning."

Remus snorted, "They listen and study much better for undercover plans than they do for exams, I'll tell you that. Right now they should be able to survive a five minute conversation with a muggle without screwing up."

"Moony has no confidence in us," James said with a dramatic sigh, draping his arm across Lily's shoulders. "So Lily, what's the plan? You wanna leave?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder momentarily, her body relaxing, before straightening up. "If I could, I would," she replied honestly. "But the reception's only just got started; I have to stay for a while longer. There's dinner and the speeches and the bouquet toss and dancing. They just opened the dinner buffet and bar. You guys can stay if you'd like; you came this far, might as well get a free meal out of it."

"Our darling Lilypad knows the best way to our heart is food and alcohol," Sirius laughed.

Lily rolled her eyes playfully, leading the trio across the room. "We've got an empty table where you lot can sit and stay out of trouble. Just come and say hello to Mum for a moment so she doesn't think I've run off."

"Why would she think you've run off? Wedding that bad?" Remus questioned.

"I sort of ran off when I spotted you all," she admitted sheepishly. "I was sure I was dreaming when I saw you guys."

James chuckled, his hand rubbing her shoulder. "That's pretty spectacular dream if we were there then."

"Shut up, Potter," Lily laughed, elbowing him playfully as they approached her mother. "Remember, best behavior you all."

"We're always on our best behavior," Sirius said with an impish grin.

"Maybe I should run away," she muttered, rolling her eyes slightly as she stepped away from James's arm, her attention turned to her mother. "Mum, I want you to meet some of my friends from school."


	4. Chapter 4

Introducing the Marauders to her mother went better than Lily would have ever expected. With all the chaos they caused at Hogwarts, she had forgotten how irresistibly charming they could be when they needed to; it got them out of more than one sticky situation. They were all perfect gentlemen and she couldn't help being a little impressed by them. Mrs. Evans was thrilled to meet some of Lily's school friends, ready to remove people from their table so the boys could sit with her. It was only Lily's reminder that moving people would make Petunia angry that stopped Mrs. Evans. After promising to bring them back to chat with her, Lily was leading the Marauders across the room to the food buffet.

"I'm starving," Lily moaned as she walked them across the room, ignoring the looks they got. She knew they were a good-looking bunch, but there was no need for everyone to stare at them.

"Did you eat anything today?" Remus asked worriedly.

She shrugged her shoulders in reply, "Had a bit of toast this morning. And two glasses of wine since we've gotten here."

"Then I'm sure your mum is glad you'll be eating with us instead of being drunk alone," James joked.

"I think your mum likes us," Sirius said with a grin. "Clever woman, fantastic judge of character."

Lily sighed dramatically as they joined the food line, handing the boys plates. "Mum's always had bad taste; she likes Petunia too. I'll probably have to listen to her talk about you lot for days now, how charming you all are, how handsome, how well-mannered. Like I said, she has bad taste."

"Always ready with an insult, huh Evans?" James chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist loosely.

"Someone's gotta keep you lot in line," she retorted with a grin. "You're getting quite cozy tonight, Potter."

James opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a tall, balding man standing in front of them. "This your bloke, Lily darling?" he questioned. Lily groaned quietly; she knew she should have seen this coming. She couldn't be at a wedding with three boys without her family assuming one of them had to be her boyfriend.

"Yes, yes I am," James answered quickly, ignoring the glare Lily gave him. Sirius and Remus chuckled behind them, earning themselves a glare as well. "I'm James Potter, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," the man replied as he shook James's hand. "I'm Lily's Uncle Michael. I'm glad to see Lily's found a nice bloke to take care of her; make sure you treat her well."

James nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh yes, I intend to," he said as the man was called away by an older woman.

"I am so glad we came," Sirius laughed as he began filling up his plate, slowly making his way down the line. "Never thought I'd see the day Lily and James are dating. I shoulda brought a camera."

"We are not dating," Lily shot back, a bright blush covering her cheeks.

"But your mum likes me," James teased as he filled Lily's plate before turning his attention to his own. "You said so yourself."

Remus elbowed James's side, "Don't harass her," he chuckled. "She's had a stressful enough day."

"And that is why Remus is my favorite Marauder," Lily replied with a grateful smile, leading the trio to an empty table in the back of the room. "He's always looking out for me."

"Hey, we look out for you," Sirius said indignantly as he sat down. "We're just a bit more…violent with our protection. If you want someone to do the talking, go to Remus."

James nodded in agreement, "Who do you think keeps hexing the Slytherins when they say something nasty? Even Peter won't hesitate to hex them."

"I knew it was you all," Lily replied, an affectionate grin on her face. The boys may be a little rough around the edges, but she knew their hearts were usually in the right place.

"Of course," Remus answered easily. "We can't have our best prefect getting into trouble for hexing fellow students. The Marauders on the other hand, it's practically expected from us. We look after our own."

"And you're definitely one of our own," James added. "No doubt about it." Lily grinned broadly at them, her green eyes shining with happiness. She always felt like she was straddling two worlds, not muggle enough for the regular world, but not magical enough for the world of magic. It was comforting to know she did have a place she belonged. "Well we've got our food now, how about I introduce you boys to muggle whiskey? It's a free bar and Vernon's family is footing the bill."

Sirius laughed loudly, a wicked grin on lips. "Lily Evans, a woman after my heart."

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One large plate of food and a few glasses of wine later, Lily was actually enjoying the reception. The Marauders were always quick with a joke, whether it was about the groom, _She's married a whale? Is that even legal?,_ to Lily catching the bouquet during the toss, _Maybe we should just keep the muggle clothes for when Lily elopes; it's only a matter of time._ Her sides were aching from laughing, almost as much as her cheeks hurt from smiling. The speeches were over and the dance floor was slowly filling with people. The food was wonderful, the music wasn't bad, and she was enjoying free drinks in the company of her favorite guys. She couldn't think of a better way to spend her evening.

"I'm surprised you didn't hex him," Sirius commented after Lily finished her story about the handsy groomsman from the wedding. "A good bat-bogey hex woulda put him in his place."

Lily snorted, "And it would have gotten me a letter from the Ministry of Magic about unauthorized use of magic outside of school. And I would have had to listen to Petunia complain for the rest of my life about it; no thank you."

"Lily darling," Mrs. Evans called as she approached the table, smiling at the group. "You all can't sit here all night; you should dance."

"Will you be joining us, Mrs. Evans?" Sirius asked innocently.

Mrs. Evans laughed, "Oh no, no. I should leave the dancing to the young people."

"Well then if the dancing will be left to the young people, I'll have to ask you to dance," he replied easily, straightening his tie as he stood. He walked around the table, offering his hand to her. "Honor me with a dance, Mrs. Evans?"

Lily nearly laughed as she saw her mother blush before taking Sirius's arm, letting him lead her to the dance floor for a slow dance. "Charming bastard," she chuckled, watching Sirius twirl her mother around the floor. "She'll never stop talking about him now. She'll start sending him gifts at Hogwarts."

"I don't think Sirius has met a woman alive that he couldn't charm," Remus replied with a laugh. "Saved our skin once or twice."

"And gotten him into trouble more than a dozen times," James added. "Pretty sure my mum loves him more than she loves me and I'm her son." He sighed dramatically, resting his head on the table."

"Don't worry, James; I still love you," Lily answered easily, patting the top of his head. She ignored the knowing look Remus shot her, taking a large gulp of her wine. She had drunk more alcohol that night than she ever had before and she was enjoying the pleasant warm feeling it gave her.

James looked up at her with a grin, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Dance with me, Lil?" he asked.

Lily looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Sure, why not?" she replied, gripping the back of her chair as she stumbled. "Will you be alright here, Remus?"

Remus waved his hand dismissively, sipping his whiskey. "I'll be fine; I'm sure Sirius will be back in no time," he answered easily. "Go dance."

James stood, offering his arm to Lily, which she accepted easily, leaning into his side. "How are you enjoying your night, Lily?" he questioned as he rested his hands lightly on her waist, swaying to the music.

"Better than I thought I would have," she admitted as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers absentmindedly caressing the hair at the nape of his neck. "Thanks to you three. I don't know what I would have done without you all."

"Probably broken that bloke's hand and gotten yourself piss drunk," James teased.

"Oh shut up," Lily laughed. "I would not be drunk. Though I've never had so much wine in my life."

His hazel eyes darkened with concern, "Are you alright? Do you want some water or to sit down?"

She shook her head, ignoring the way it swam from the alcohol. "No, I'm alright; I'm enjoying myself with you."

James grinned broadly, "I never thought I'd see the day when Lily Evans said she was having a good time with me, James Potter."

"Don't let it go to your head, Potter," Lily laughed. "Though I am ready to get out of here."

"Where do you want to go?"

Lily thought for a moment, "There's a nice lawn out back; it'll probably be cooler outside than inside. The four of us can relax out there."

"Sounds good to me; let's go round out Sirius and Remus," he answered.

"You go get them and I'll meet you guys out back," she said as she pulled herself away from James. "I'm going to get something."

James watched her warily before nodding in agreement, heading back to their table. Lily watched him walk away, waiting until he was obscured by the crowd before heading toward the bar.

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Reviews please!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello readers! Here we are at the last chapter of Wedding Crashers. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this story. I wanted to end this story here, but I decided it needs a little bit of an epilogue to make it really feel tied up, so I'll try to post that tomorrow. Please feel free to leave a review!

-ninjanervana

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Lily smiled proudly to herself as she managed to snag a bottle of wine and whiskey from behind the bar before sneaking off, the bartender none the wiser. Her silver heels clicked against the tile floors as she made her way across the room, the bottles cradled against her chest. She tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone and hoped her mother wouldn't see her somehow; she was too tipsy to come up with a good excuse for the alcohol. Even if she was sober, she doubted she could come up with a good excuse.

A soft sigh left her lips as she pushed open the doors, stepping into the empty hallway without being stopped. The hall was considerably cooler than the packed ballroom, the air free from the scent of food and alcohol. As the doors swung shut behind her, all she could hear was the muffled music in the room. _'Should have taken off my shoes,'_ Lily thought to herself as she slowly made her way through the hall, wobbling slightly. She had never had more than a few Butterbeers; she wasn't sure how her body would take to all the wine. But now she was in too deep to want to stop; in for a penny, in for a pound.

As Lily came to the corner of the hall, she hesitated as she heard voices. The male voices were clearly the Marauders, but who were the other high pitched ones? She was the only person who they knew at the party, but she knew how charismatic the boys could be; they made friends easily. Peeking her head around the corner, she spotted the boys near the exit doors, standing with the other bridesmaids. She knew it was rude to eavesdrop on someone, but she couldn't help her curiosity. The bridesmaids had glared at her all day; she had to know the reason why.

"How do you three know Petunia's sister?" the blonde hair woman _-'Maureen'_ , Lily thought- asked the trio, leaning into Sirius. She fluttered her eyelashes, resting a hand on his arm.

"We all go to school with Lily," Sirius answered easily, taking a step away from her. "Same year as us."

One of the other women wrinkled her nose in distaste, "You should stay away from her," she warned. "Petunia says her sister is absolutely horrible, that there's something not right with her."

"Who said there's something right with us?" James replied, giving a tight-lipped smile, his hazel eyes cold.

"Oh you boys are a laugh," the third woman commented, a shrill giggle leaving her lips. "We saw you sitting with her and thought you might need saving. We're happy to entertain you for the rest of the night; you wouldn't want to be associating with the wrong sort of people. I think Petunia's said that her sister is some sort of criminal. It's not your fault you didn't know."

Lily tried not to let herself be hurt by their words, why should she care about the stupid opinion of stupid people, but she couldn't help the pang of sadness she felt. These women were just repeating what her sister had told them. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. She expected James or Sirius to jump to her defense−they always spoke first and thought later− but it was Remus, calm, quiet, prefect Remus, who started speaking before the woman had even stopped.

"And what exactly do you know about Lily for you to call her the wrong sort of people?" Remus snapped at them. "Lily is the kindest, smartest, most brilliant woman I have met in my life. She has the biggest heart out of any of our classmates and she is my friend. The only wrong sort of people I've met tonight are you three."

The women were taken aback by Remus's words, their eyes wide with shock. Lily could see them trying to think of a response to his scolding, but the other Marauders were quick to add on to Remus's words.

"So please tell Petunia to pull that giant stick out of her arse and to stop talkin' shit about our girl," Sirius said with a grin. "We don't appreciate it one bit."

"And kindly leave us the hell alone. We were having a lovely evening with our Lily until you three came around, spreading lies about her," James added.

Lily took that as her cue to make an appearance, hiding the bottles behind her back. "There you boys are," she said cheerfully as she approached them. The boys smiled back at her as she joined them, shifting their positions so they surrounded her on all sides. With James on her right, Remus on her left and Sirius standing behind her, she had never felt safer in her life. "I see you've met my fellow bridesmaids; ladies, this is James, Remus and Sirius."

"We've been introduced," James said dryly. "Had a charming conversation with them."

"I've spent all day with these girls, you know."

"I'm sure it was an unforgettable day," Sirius snarked.

"And they were just leaving," James said, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders protectively. The three women glared at Lily before turning away and heading back to the reception, no doubt to inform Petunia about everything.

Once they were out of sight, Lily laughed, turning toward the Marauders. Her green eyes shone brightly with amusement. "Oh my boys," she chuckled. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Why, Lily Evans, what do we have here?" Sirius gasped in mock surprise as he took the bottle of whiskey from her hand. "Is the Gryffindor prefect supplying underage teenagers with stolen alcohol?"

"I'm off the clock," Lily replied with a wink, pushing open the exit door. The backyard of the reception hall was a few yards of grass, the area fenced by a tall white fence. A smattering of stars shone brightly in the sky with the waning moon, providing them with enough light to see by.

Remus laughed loudly, shaking his head as they followed her. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"At least now we know the way to get past her is with a bit of alcohol," James commented.

"Shut up, Potter or I won't share with you," she giggled, bumping her shoulder against his before leaning into his side.

Sirius smirked as he watched the pair before opening the whiskey. "Well since you've been so gracious to steal this for us, we must drink it," he declared before taking a swig from the bottle before passing it to Remus. "Almost as good as firewhiskey. Muggles at least know how to do alcohol right."

"Let's go sit," Lily said, gripping James's arm as she pulled off her heels. Her feet were aching; she knew by morning she would wish she had wore flat shoes. "My feet are tired."

James took a quick drink of whiskey before wrapping his arm around Lily's waist, following after Sirius and Remus. "Those girls were something else, weren't they?" he commented.

Lily snorted loudly, "Imagine having to spend all day with them. I was ready to obliviate myself just to put myself before the wedding."

"Can't fault you for that, Lilypad," Sirius called over his shoulder, sitting down in the middle of grass. "They even managed to ruffle Remus's feathers. That takes some effort."

"He defended your honor quite well," James laughed as he sat down between Sirius and Remus. "Sirius and I would have but he beat us to it."

As Lily moved to sit on the other side of Remus, James tugged her arm, pulling her down to sit between his legs. She could feel herself blushing fiercely, but she didn't want to move from her spot, her back leaning against his chest. She was comfortable and relaxed as James's arms wrapped around her loosely, holding her in place. She opened the wine with a little bit of difficulty, drinking some before passing it to the boys. "Thank you," she said softly. "All of you. For everything, for coming tonight and keeping me from being miserable and defending me against those girls and getting me drunk."

James laughed, his warm breath brushing against the side of her neck. "We didn't get you drunk; you did that all by yourself."

"I wouldn't have drunk this much if I was alone," Lily retorted.

"You thank us now, but tomorrow you won't be as thrilled with us," Remus replied, taking a drink of the wine before passing the bottle off. "Hangovers are awful."

Sirus nodded in agreement, "I think our Lily will be able to survive; she's made of tough stuff, you know?"

They were all silent for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company and the stolen alcohol. After another drink of wine, Lily smiled, looking at the three boys. "I like that you know, being the Marauders's Lily," she clarified at their confused looks. "I hadn't expected it, but I like belonging to you all. And I like you all belonging to me. You're my boys."

James grinned, his arms tightening around her. "You know you'll never get rid of us now."

"Funny enough, I don't want to. I plan on keeping you lot forever," she laughed as she leaned back against James, her head resting on his shoulder as she looked up at the sky. Her stomach was filled with butterflies as she let herself relax into him, her eyes on the verge of closing. "With you all around, the future doesn't seem so frightening."

"Worry about the future tomorrow," Remus replied easily, taking the whiskey bottle as Sirius held it out to him. "Let's enjoy tonight, yeah?"

Lily nodded in agreement, resting her hands over James's. His fingers laced with hers instantly, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. Tomorrow there would be time to worry about hangovers, about angry sisters and insulted bridesmaids, about worried mothers, about a war on the horizon threatening to tear the magical world apart. But tonight, that didn't matter. Tonight was about the star filled sky on a quiet night, about laughter and jokes and her best friends, about James Potter's lips brushing against her bare shoulder lightly, tenderly, about the way his scent would linger on her skin tonight when she finally fell asleep, about how safe she felt in his arms with these two boys by their sides. Tonight was about feeling alive.

* * *

Reviews please!


	6. Chapter 6

_Received Saturday, the morning after the wedding reception_

To the Marauders:

I hate you. All of you. I hate you all from the very depths of my soul. Remus is no longer my favorite; Peter is since he's the only one who didn't let me get piss drunk last night. What sort of friends let their friend get this drunk? I thought you're supposed to look out for each other. I'm certain I'll still be hungover tomorrow on the train back to Hogwarts. Merlin, I feel awful.

I don't even know how I got home last night but I woke up in my bed this morning still wearing my dress and one shoe. I don't even know where the other one is. I'm just glad I didn't lose my wand somewhere; that would have been a bloody nightmare. It was hard enough to find somewhere to put it in my damn dress.

You know what else is a bloody nightmare? This sodding hangover. My head has been throbbing all morning. I've already taken a Pepper-Up potion but it hasn't done much in my opinion. How do you lot go around getting drunk all the time if this is the result? I swear I will never drink again. I'm starving but I'm absolutely sick to my stomach, which is a horrible combination I assure you. At least I can say I can hold my alcohol, though that's a small consolation.

What else did we do last night? The last thing I remember was Remus telling me about the time that house elf chased Sirius around the kitchen but everything after that is a blur. I blame everything on the wine if I said/did something embarrassing. Please tell me I didn't do anything embarrassing.

If you lot have ever loved me, even for a moment, you will come here and kill me. Please put me out of my misery. Just keeping my eyes open long enough to write this letter is absolute agony. Please don't make me suffer like this.

Oh god Mum is calling me to help her with something. Please send the assassins soon and make my death swift.

Dying a slow, painful death because you lot let me get drunk, always yours,

Lily E.

* * *

 _Received on Sunday afternoon after returning from King's Cross_

Hello Mrs. Evans,

I hope this letter finds you well. I'm Mrs. Potter; I'm James's mother. While we haven't had the chance to meet, we have met each other's children.

I wanted to apologize for the behavior of James, Sirius and Remus on the night of your daughter's wedding. When they came home that evening and told me they hadn't been invited to the reception they attended, I was absolutely appalled. Rest assured, they got an earful about attending weddings they were not invited to. Honestly, I thought those boys had better manners than that. Why they thought they could just show up is beyond my reasoning. I assure you, they have learned their lesson.

I also wanted to thank you for looking after the boys. I know how hectic a wedding can be and I truly appreciate you taking the time to look after them. Those three are the light of my life. The boys tell me they had a wonderful time meeting you and spending the evening with Lily. I've met your daughter once on the train platform and she was absolute delight. Sharp as a tack, impeccable manners and quite a beauty. You've raised a wonderful daughter, Mrs. Evans. Hopefully she'll be able to keep those boys in line; they need a firm hand sometimes.

I've sent an apple pie for you and your family to enjoy; I just finished baking it before writing this letter. I know the magical world is not an easy place to adjust to; if you ever have any questions or need a magical mother to speak to, please feel free to send an owl to me. It would be lovely to meet for a cup of tea.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Potter


	7. Chapter 7

Lily chatted happily with her classmates at breakfast, telling them about her Easter holiday. The girls laughed as she told them about her drunk adventure with the Marauders a few nights before, the boys filling in details she had forgotten or simply couldn't remember.

"I did not fall down," she said firmly, glaring at Sirius across the table. "You're lying."

"How would you know, Lilypad? You can't remember half the night," Sirius replied innocently.

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but got distracted by the owls flying in with the morning post. She frowned in confusion as she spotted her small, brown owl, a square package strapped to its leg. "What could Mum be sending me already? She saw me yesterday," she mused.

As the owl neared the table, it settled onto James's empty plate, looking up at him expectantly before pecking his fingers.

"Tawny, I'm over here," Lily called to the owl. "Silly owl."

James stroked the owl's head lightly before turning his attention to the box it carried. "But this package isn't for you," James replied as he untied the package from the owl's leg.

She rolled her eyes, "It's my bloody owl. Who else would the package be for?"

"I'm glad you asked." James grinned broadly, turning the package toward her so she could see the name written in her mother's neat cursive.

 _James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin_

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

"You have got to be kidding me," Lily said flatly. "What could my mum be sending you three?"

"I told you your mum loved us," Sirius replied gleefully as James unwrapped the box.

Remus shook his head, "She loves you because you danced with her and tried to charm the knickers off of her."

"Can we not talk about my mum's knickers," Lily bemoaned, her cheeks turning red. She watched curiously as James pulled a small round tin out of the packaging, a slip of paper fluttering to the table.

James snatched up the paper, clearing his throat loudly before reading it. "Dear James, Sirius, and Remus, I hope you're all doing well. I've sent this tin of gingersnap cookies for you all to enjoy. It was lovely meeting you three; be sure to come around more often. I'm glad Lily has such charming friends. Be sure to share some of the cookies with her and try to stay out of trouble. Lots of love, Mrs. Evans. P.S. James, please thank your mother again for the apple pie she sent; it was wonderful. I'll have to write her for the recipe."

Lily could feel her mouth hanging open in shock before regaining her senses and snapping it shut. "My mum sent you all cookies," she said slowly.

"And apparently my mum sent yours an apple pie," James replied in surprise.

"Isn't it wonderful when the in-laws get along," Sirius said cheekily, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite. "Oh man, these are great."

"I…I don't even know how to react to all of this," Lily murmured.

Remus grabbed a cookie from the tin, handing it to her. "Have a cookie, Lily; you'll feel better."

She accepted the treat, taking a bite. They really were fantastic.

"Well," James finally said, grabbing his own cookie from the tin. "If you belong to your mother and we belong to you, I guess that sort of means we belong to her too. And so we get baked goods."

"Seems so," Lily answered thoughtfully.

"One big happy family," Sirius replied with a grin, grabbing another cookie. "Lily, if you bake like your mum, you should start baking for us on a regular basis; prepare yourself for married life."

Lily laughed, throwing her napkin at him. "You prat. I won't bake a thing for you. You can charm my mother but you can't charm me, Black."

Sirius waved his hand dismissively, "I won't charm you, James will."

A light blush covered Lily's cheeks as her green eyes met James's hazel ones across the table. _'Yes,'_ she thought. _'Maybe he will.'_

* * *

And so ends Wedding Crashers. Thank you to everyone who read this entire story. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave a review, especially if you have a story idea; I'm always looking for a new one.

Until next time,

ninjanervana


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